Cast: Dhanush, Nithya Menn, Shalini Pandey, Arun Vijay, Raj Kiran, Satyaraj, Samuthirakani, Parthiban
Crew:
Cinematography by kiran koushik
Edited by Prasanna GK
Music by GV Prakash Kumar
Written & Directed by Dhanush
procedures with Aakash Bascaran Baaskan
Dhanush has created a huge name and fame with his scintillating performances. The actor has been venturing into script writing and direction in recent times. Now, he has starred in his fourth directorial, Idli Kadai/ Idli Kottu. Nithya Menen is playing the leading lady besides him after Thiruchitrambalam. Shalini Pandey is back after a gap in this film. Arun Vijay has accepted to play a supporting role. Let’s discuss about the movie in detail.
Plot:
Murali (Dhanush) wants to grow beyond his small village life while his father Shivakeshavulu (Raj Kiran) is happy to stay in his native place and look after their Idli Kottu. Murali is about to settle permanently in Bangkok, as a business magnate Vishnu Vardhan (Satyaraj), accepts to marry him with his daughter Meera (Shalini Pandey). But he is ill-treated by Ashwin (Arun Vijay), Vishnu’s son. Ashwin is aggressive and temperamental.
He is a spoilt brat and doesn’t care about anything if someone crosses his line. Vishnu Vardhan loves him too much and doesn’t dare to punish or correct him, even after he commits big mistakes. On the day of engagement, Murali’s father passes away and he decides to go back to his village. Meera asks him to come back and not postpone marriage but he cancels all plans after his mother’s death. What will Ashwin do? Can Murali run Idli Kottu like his father used to? Watch the movie to know more.
Analysis:
Dhanush as an actor, once again proves his skills. As a screen-writer, he tends to overcook some aspects and then stretch simple things till the end with no unusual or overpowering outcomes. You know the beats in the screenplay and the things happen exactly in the same flow. He doesn’t try to subvert the expectations or engage audiences throughout with different energy.
Hence, the writing looks weak and you feel like it has been built up in a different manner to draw few broad strokes that anyone would. As a writer, he needs to understand the major plot point and then let it be the major USP rather than dragging done-to-death bits further and further. For a character like Murali, the struggle to accept and adjust to newer circumstances must have been the major draw in this story.
Rather we see such important points being told very quickly and effectively while dragging the predictable clash between Ashwin and Murali till the end. What should have been the final nail, happens to be the first move. So, the climax loses its impact and feels like over-stretched second half. When he wanted to compare two different fathers and their style of parenthood, the scenes should have been more effective.
They should have let the audiences feel that Murali and Shivakeshavulu have a strong emotional bond beyond what is visible. He tried to bring in village traditions, beliefs and divine power into the mix but couldn’t make delay the leap like Black Panther. The movie seems to have drawn inspiration from it and several Shivaji Ganesan, Kamal Haasan films.
It would have all been better had Dhanush given space to his major USP, differences in parenthood, to breathe and come across in similar fashion. While along with his performance, Arun Vijay, Nithya Menen, Satyaraj did their best and GV Prakash Kumar also gave his best, still the movie feels underwhelming. The first hour looks great and engaging but the film feels like it got over in the first half, itself. Still, it is a watchable family entertainer as performances and music hold the fort.
Bottomline:
A watchable family entertainer which could have been much better.
Rating: 2.5/5
Disclaimer: The views/opinions expressed in this review are personal views/opinions shared by the writer and organisation does not hold a liability to them. Viewers’ discretion is advised before reacting to them.
